Potato-topped pie with a browned filling, peas, carrots, and corn in a skillet.
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Shepherd’s Pie with Whatever You’ve Got

ByMadame Madraine

A savory filling of protein, onion, garlic, and vegetables, thickened with Mundus Everything Soup Mix and topped with Mundus Cheesy Veggie Potatoes.

Serves: 4–6
Dish: 9-inch square baking dish or a deep, oven-safe 10-inch skillet
Prep and stovetop cooking: about 25 minutes
Bake: 20–25 minutes
Rest: 10 minutes

What You’Ll Need

For the filling

  • One protein option from the list below
  • 1–2 tablespoons olive oil or Mundus butter, as needed
  • 1 medium onion, diced
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 300 g (about 2 cups) mixed vegetables — peas, corn, carrots, green beans, or a combination
  • 2 tablespoons tomato paste
  • 30 g (approximately ¼ cup) Mundus Everything Soup Mix
  • 1½ cups (360 ml) cold water or low-sodium broth, plus more as needed
  • ¼ cup (60 ml) red or white wine, optional; or use additional water or broth
  • 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves or ¼ teaspoon dried thyme, optional
  • Black pepper, to taste
  • Chopped parsley, for finishing, optional

For the topping

  • 142 g (one 5-ounce bag) Mundus Cheesy Veggie Potato Mix
  • 2½ cups (600 ml) hot water, plus more as needed
  • ½ cup (120 ml) unsweetened, unflavored plant-based milk
  • 2 tablespoons (28 g) Mundus butter, plus a little for the top

Pick Your Protein

Choose one. These are alternatives for one pie; you don’t need all of them.

  • Ground meat or plant-based ground: 1 pound (454 g). Lamb, beef, turkey, chicken, or your preferred plant-based ground all work here.
  • TVP: 100 g (approximately 1 cup) dry TVP, rehydrated according to its package, then drained if necessary.
  • Soy curls: about 3 cups rehydrated, well-drained soy curls, chopped into small pieces. Leftover cooked soy curls work too.
  • Cooked chicken or other leftover meat: about 3 cups, chopped or shredded.
  • Lentils: 400 g (about 2 cups) cooked, drained lentils. Add 225 g (about 3 cups) chopped mushrooms for more texture.

Make It

1. Get the oven and topping ready.

Heat the oven to 400°F. Lightly grease your baking dish.

Combine the hot water, milk, and 2 tablespoons butter. Stir in the potato mix and let it stand for 5 minutes, or until the dried vegetables have softened. Add more hot water a tablespoon at a time if needed. You want potatoes that spread easily but hold the marks of a fork.

2. Brown your protein.

Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add oil or butter as needed.

For raw ground meat or plant-based ground, cook in crumbles. Cook beef, lamb, or pork to 160°F and ground poultry to 165°F; follow package directions for plant-based ground.

For rehydrated TVP or soy curls, use enough oil to coat the pan and cook until they get some color. Drain them well first so they brown instead of steaming.

For the lentil option, brown the mushrooms first; save the cooked lentils for step 5.

For leftover cooked meat, skip this step and add it in step 5.

Transfer the browned protein or mushrooms to a plate.

3. Onion, vegetables, then garlic.

Add a little more oil if needed. Cook the onion and any raw carrots or green beans until softened, about 6–8 minutes. Cut firm vegetables small and give them longer if they need it.

Add the garlic and tomato paste. Stir for about 1 minute.

Frozen peas, corn, and mixed vegetables can go in later.

4. Get the browned bits.

Add the wine, if using, and scrape the bottom of the pan. Let it reduce for 1–2 minutes. No wine? Use ¼ cup water or broth instead.

5. Make the filling.

Whisk the soup mix into the 1½ cups cold water or broth until smooth, then pour it into the skillet.

Add the protein, mushrooms, and remaining vegetables. Stir in the thyme, if using.

Bring to a gentle simmer and cook for about 5 minutes, stirring, until the vegetables are tender and the sauce coats the filling. It should be thick enough to spoon into the dish without a puddle of liquid forming around it.

Too thick? Add a splash of water. Too loose? Simmer a little longer.

Taste before adding salt; the soup mix is already seasoned. Add black pepper as needed.

6. Add the potatoes.

Transfer the filling to the baking dish, or keep it in your oven-safe skillet.

Spoon the potatoes over the filling in small mounds, then gently spread them into an even layer. Drag a fork across the surface and dot with a little Mundus butter.

7. Bake and rest.

Bake for approximately 20–25 minutes, until the filling is bubbling and the center reaches 165°F.

For more color, briefly broil in a broiler-safe dish, watching closely.

Let stand for 10 minutes before serving. Finish with parsley, if you have it.

A Few Options

  • Have leftover mashed potatoes? Use about 3½–4 cups in place of the potato topping.
  • Want more vegetables? Add chopped mushrooms, diced zucchini, or greens. Cook off excess moisture before adding the sauce.
  • Making it entirely plant-based? Choose TVP, soy curls, lentils, or plant-based ground, and use water or vegetable broth.

Dry soup-mix cup measurements are approximate; use the weight for greater accuracy.

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